Which car seat report. Or recommend me one!!!

I am after the recent which car seat report does anyone have it? Or can anyone recommend me one? I've been looking at the maxi cosi tobi but have been reading that my daughter may be able to get her arms out of the harness so have no got to look at others. So can anyone recommend one?

Best bet is to get yourself down to mothercare or halfords and look at their ranges, ask for their recommendations and see if it fits the car first. (dreaded buckle crunch)I'm having a terrible time finding a group 1 seat to fit the wifes 2004 Vauxhall Astra.I have read good reviews about the Maxi Cosi Tobi but their are some bad reviews ref the straps getting stuck,although nothing about the child freeing their arms from it.Good luck.

24th Mar 2008

i assume she is over 9months? we have had lots of carseats and I think the chicco key 1 is good. also the recaro which you can buy a european version of called the starlight available mothercare and olivers babycare(I would recommend this as secure and she wont escape!!) Recaro service were bad so thats a point to consider also..if you buy from mothercare you should be fine tho? bebe confort iseos is lovely and larger-widens as your little one grows. Maxi cosi priori is popular and grandson has I havent seen the new report but these are all really good seats..

24th Mar 2008

Britax first class fits most cars which suffer from buckle crunch and they have an online fit-finder you can use?

24th Mar 2008

These are the latest Which Best Buys :thumbsup:

Best Buys Maxi Cosi Cabriofix with Easyfix basePrice: £200Score: 82% Our testing has become even tougher since we made this a Best Buy in 2006, but it still passed with flying colours – achieving our first 'Excellent' child seat result.

Crash protection is excellent, and the instructions are clear.

Britax Cosytot IsofixPrice: £165Score: 79% The Best Buy Britax Cosytot Isofix was the first seat for newborns to use Isofix mounting system. It's easy to install and offers excellent stability – protecting children well in front and side crashes.

Designed for babies from birth to about a year (13kg), this rearward-facing seat uses a support leg that rests on the car floor rather than a strap for the third mounting point. The support leg needs a flat, solid floor, so it won't suit all cars – always refer to the manufacturer's guidelines before buying.

Recaro Young Profi Plus with basePrice: £170Score: 78% This Recaro seat is designed for babies from birth to about a year (13kg) in rear-facing modes. It offers great protection in Isofix mode, although it's not as safe when used with the adult seat belt.

It comes with a base which is secured using the Isofix mounts, and has a support leg that rests on the car floor rather than a strap for the third mounting point. The support leg needs a flat, solid floor, so it won't suit all cars – always refer to the manufacturer's guidelines before buying.

Britax Evolva 2/3 ISOFITPrice: £130Score: 77% This Best Buy seat from Britax did well in our tests, with a 'Good' overall crash safety rating. It's very similar to the Ultra model, but unusually for a seat in this group, the Evolva 2/3 uses Isofix.

Although the Isofix mounting for the base doesn't actually improve safety, it's more convenient to use than the Ultra version, which isn't held to the car except when the belted child sits in it.

Maxi Cosi PriorifixPrice: £230Score: 75% This Best Buy from Maxi Cosi is the safest Group 1 seat for children from one year up to about 4 years (9 to 18 kg).

This seat can be fixed using Isofix mounts or seat belts, and has a support leg which rests on the car floor for additional stability. The support leg needs a flat, solid floor, so it won’t suit all cars – always refer to the manufacturer’s guidelines before buying.

Maxi Cosi Rodi XRPrice: £95Score: 75% This booster seat with backrest is one of the easiest-to-use seats we've ever tested, scoring top marks for every aspect of handling.

Designed for children from 4 to 12 years (15 to 36 kg), it uses the 3-point adult seat belt to secure both the seat and the child.

Britax Evolva 2/3 UltraPrice: £90Score: 74% A highly-rated seat that performed well in our safety tests, this Best Buy from Britax is very similar to the Evolva 2/3 ISOFIT model, except it's not secured to the car with Isofix mounts.

Our experts thought this seat was suitable for children aged 4 to 12. There are good instructions and it's easy to carry.

Concord Lift Evo PTPrice: £90Score: 72% The Concord Lift Evo PT – a Best Buy in 2006 and 2007 – is comfortable, provides good leg support for the child, and it's easy to move from car to car – something worth remembering if you're a two-car family.

This seat is a booster with backrest, designed for transporting children from 4 to 12 years (15 to 36 kg). It uses the 3-point adult seat belt to secure both the seat and the child.

Concord Lift ProtectPrice: £75Score: 72% This seat is a booster with backrest, designed for transporting children from four to 12 years (15 to 36 kg). It uses the three-point adult seat belt to secure both the seat and the child.

Slightly cheaper and subtly different from its stable-mate the Evo PT, this seat has large side ‘wings’, which give excellent head support, and the base offers good leg support. It is light weight and very easy to install and it offers adequate front crash protection. Side crash protection is good and is aided by the unusual side ‘wings’ on the seat, which extend downwards to provide extra protection for the child’s abdomen. The tall back is good for taller children but in some cars it touches the head restraints – which may need removing to allow the seat to sit flat against the car seat-back.

Maxi Cosi Rodi XPPrice: £95Score: 72% This seat is a booster with backrest, designed for transporting children from four to 12 years (15 to 36 kg). It uses the three-point adult seat belt to secure both the seat and the child.

It’s possibly the easiest to use seat we’ve ever tested, scoring top marks for every aspect of handling. As with many seats in this weight category, the tall back is good for taller children but in some cars it touches the head restraints – which may need removing to allow the seat to sit flat against the car seat-back.

Britax Evolva 2-3Price: £55Score: 71% New for 2006, the Evolva 2-3 looks very similar to the Britax Kid but beneath the surface there are subtle changes. It’s a booster with backrest, designed for transporting children from four to 12 years (15 to 36 kg). It uses the three-point adult seat belt to secure both the seat and the child.It isn’t as light weight as others in the class, but the instructions are clear and it is easy to install.

Like most seats in the class it has a high seat back which can touch the car’s head restraint on some cars. In this case, it can be helpful to remove the head restraint to allow the seat to sit flat against the car seat back. Padding is excellent and it offers very good leg support and front crash loads are low. Thanks to the high side bolsters, side-impact protection is particularly good – you can adjust the headrest height as your child grows.

Britax Hi-LinerPrice: £40Score: 71% This is a forward facing booster with back rest that uses the three-point vehicle belt to restrain the seat and the child. It is designed for children aged about four to 12 (15-36kg).

It is very easy to use, offers very good leg support and excellent padding. While the idea of having one seat for several weight categories is often seen as a compromise, this one does a good job of bridging the gap. Crash ratings are pretty good, with low loads imparted to the child in both front and side crashes. The Hi-Liner has a very high back, which can foul on the car’s head restraints. Stability of the seat can be improved on some cars by turning or removing the vehicle headrest, to allow the high backrest to sit more squarely onto the seat back.

Concord Lift EvoPrice: £85Score: 71% This seat is a booster with backrest, designed for transporting children from four to 12 years (15 to 36 kg). It uses the three-point adult seat belt to secure both the seat and the child.

It has excellent padding and gives good leg support and the child has an excellent view out of the vehicle.

Britax Duo Plus ISOFIXPrice: £180Score: 70% The Duo Plus can be used in Isofix mode, with 2- or 3-point (using top tether) mounting, or can be secured with a 3-point adult seat belt. As an Isofix seat, its all round performance is good enough for it to earn the Best Buy recommendation.

This seat is designed for children from around a year old to about 4 (9 to 18kg). It's well made and easy to use, with clear instructions. Padding is excellent, and it offers good leg and head support.

Chicco Key1 IsofixPrice: £160Score: 70% This seat doesn’t offer as much protection in a crash when secured with seat belts (the seat-belted version is called the Chicco Key 1 X-Plus) so we can recommend it only as an Isofix seat.

The height of the shoulder straps can be adjusted easily, without having to unthread the harness.

24th Mar 2008

Thanks pluves1.

The latest which report obviously is leaning towards isofix, which my car hasn't got. Anyone with perhaps an older one?

24th Mar 2008

I would recommend Britax but, much depends on the age of your child and the car.

At the moment we use 2 Britax Hi Liners but, my daughter complains that in my car with leather seats and cornering fast the seat slips easily! Perfectly OK in the other car with cloth seats.

I may be upgrading to the Britax Evolva with ISOfit just to keep the seat positioned when in use and when not in use:oops:

Isofix for seats like the Britax Evolva 2-3 wont actually improve safety it merely acts to stop the seat flying around the back seat!

What age range or weight is the seat needed for?

24th Mar 2008

for the money i would see if the starlight fits your car-it wont fly about and there are a few models to choose from to suit age..

24th Mar 2008

I have britax car seats for all 3 of my little ones. Cant recommend them highly enough

24th Mar 2008

louloo;1772178

for the money i would see if the starlight fits your car-it wont fly … for the money i would see if the starlight fits your car-it wont fly about and there are a few models to choose from to suit age..

Whilst the quote is over 3 years old this is why the STarlight model didnt even get tested by Which. I believe Britax no longer produces the models referred to below.

Inadequate child car seats still on sale02 June 2005

Ten inferior child car seats, exposed by Which? up to two years ago, are still on sale.

These seats all meet current minimum legal standards1, but either won't offer adequate protection in a severe crash, or are difficult to install, which increases the risk of injury in an accident.

To meet the standard, seats must withstand a 30mph crash, without a child sustaining serious injury. Which? uses EuroNCAP crash test conditions, with a front-crash test at about 40mph and also a side-impact test.

Malcolm Coles, editor, Which?, says:

"We're very disappointed that some of the seats we exposed as inadequate as long as two years ago are still on sale.

"We think simply making child car seats safe enough to pass the minimum safety test is downright irresponsible. We asked the manufacturers why they still sell these inferior seats, but some just hid behind the regulations, while others failed to answer our questions."

At the other end of the scale, the Britax Cosy Tot Isofix, the first Isofix2 seat for babies in the UK, is the best of the bunch. Which? thinks Isofix seats are safer and should become standard, with belt-secured seats becoming a thing of the past.

For children from 9kg, the recommended Isofix seat is the Duo Plus from Britax and for those cars without Isofix, the Mamas & Papas Pro Tec is the best. For children from 15kg, the recommended seat is the Concord Lift Protect.

25th Mar 2008

wow apologies! it was the recaro sport we had and it fit in our car solid as a rock and really seemed brilliant-just had probs with recaro as the seat cover faded after washing

25th Mar 2008

She's just coming out of her baby seat, sp from 9 months is where i'm looking from.

29th Mar 2008

Does anyone have the maxi cosi prior xp?

17th Jun 2008

mercurystar999;1800768

Does anyone have the maxi cosi prior xp?

This is probably a bit late now but I bought this one for my kids (after reading which). It's an excellent car seat it you don't have ISO fix.

17th Jun 2008

I have two Maxi cose Tobi's and I think they are excellent. The best feature is when you unclip your child it automatically loosens off and holds the straps out of the way making it really easy to get your child into and out of the seat. Comes in really handy when they are sleeping too.